Coronavirus Strikes. If you had an opportunity to look at our previous post, you know that we arrived in Plovdiv (Bulgaria) on March 14. That was the first day that most everything in Plovdiv and all of Bulgaria closed down because of the threat of Covid-19. (We were informed about the lockdown the night before when we were in Sofia.) Those few people we saw outside in Plovdiv wore masks and honored social distancing guidelines. Since the virus had barely touched here, we felt quite safe. As news of the Corona virus spread, particularly of its progress in America – where no real restrictions were yet in place — we truly questioned what we should do. Our Rick Steves Tour, “The Best of Turkey in 14 Days,” had just been cancelled, and we had no further commitments. Do we stay or do we go? We felt perfectly safe here in Bulgaria; our friends in Portugal invited us to join them for a month or more, while family and friends in America supported us, but clearly they thought we should come back.
Should we stay, or should we go? All of Europe was beginning to shut down. We could not continue our travels as we wished until this pandemic was under control, and that would take at least a couple of months, and quite likely more. But our Air B&B apartment in Plovdiv was really nice, and very affordable for a long term stay. Our hostess was great and very supportive, assuring us that we could stay as long as we wanted. Also, when we compared our own likelihood of contracting the virus, we felt much safer in Bulgaria than we would be in the States. We could be happy stuck in Plovid for a few months, and when things opened up again, we could pursue our travels. Surely this shouldn’t last much more than three months or so.
So, We decided to stay: After several days of discussion with friends also traveling in Europe, friends who live in Europe and our family, we decided to stay in Bulgaria – how long could it be? A few months? So, we went to the ATM’s and took out lots of Bulgarian cash to pay our host for our extended stay, or the first month of it at least, and we stocked up on groceries to last for days.
Then, that night, We changed our minds.
First, we received an email from the American Embassy in Bulgaria. The official advice was that Americans should understand that travel would become much less available. The Bulgarian government had already closed its borders to many who might travel there, including those from America. They recommended that Americans who were not prepared to remain for an indefinite period of time should plan to return to the US as soon as possible, while such travel was still available.
Second, we saw the memo from the State Department urging American citizens abroad to return to the United States. We began conversations again with family and friends. Benny, our son-in-law, whose insight and advice we value, made us re-think how long this pandemic would last. Based on what he was reading, he suggested that the impact of Corona virus could be eighteen months or more. So yes, we could stay and wouldn’t mind staying in Bulgaria for two or three months, but what if we were stuck there for a year or more??
So now we decided to return to America: At least here we know the medical system, we have our Medicare, and we can be closer to family and friends. For the second time now, our “Gap Year in Europe” was interrupted. So we left what felt to us like a very safe zone in Bulgaria to fly back to the USA and stay in the New York Metropolitan area, a Corona Virus hotspot. However, we would be with and near family.
Comin’ Back Home: We Traveled on Saturday 3/21 from Plovdiv to Sofia, a 2 hour drive, to be near the airport. On Sunday, 3/22 , we were scheduled to fly from Sofia to Paris to Atlanta to Jersey City: One Taxi, Four Airports, Three Flights, and one Uber.
- We took A Taxi from Plovdiv back to Sofia, to avoid public buses and trains. Due to the ban on unnecessary travel, we were stopped at a roadblock leaving Plovdiv. Our driver explained our need to get to Sofia. We were Americans going home.
- We stayed one night in an Ibis Hotel near the Sofia Airport. We ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in our hotel room and shared a beer that we had purchased in Plovdiv (when we thought we were staying there).
- Sofia Airport: They took our temperature as we entered the airport. A nice airport, but not at all busy on this early morning. They’re taking the virus threat very seriously. We learned that the second leg of our planned route, a Delta flight from Paris to Atlanta, had been cancelled. Could they help us rebook at this point? No, they couldn’t help and advised us to fly to Paris and consult Delta there to reschedule. This didn’t instill confidence in us.
- A 2 hour flight from Sofia to Paris. 7:00-9:00am. The flight was not very full, so we could maintain distance from others with no one sitting right next to us. We took protective measures – masks, gloves and alcohol wipes to clean off our seats.
- By the time we arrived in Paris, our cancelled flight had already been rescheduled on a different airline. What a huge relief! A 9 hour flight from Paris to Atlanta. 10:40am (Paris time) to 3:30pm (Atlanta time) It’s normally a seven-hour flight, but the longer route was required to avoid restricted airspace over the New York City area. We never did find out why that was.
- Before we could leave the plane in Atlanta, we all had to complete CDC forms stating where we had traveled and reporting on our current health status. CDC Representatives collected the forms, took temperatures for a few folks at random, and escorted some passengers directly off the plane.
- Atlanta Airport: We were glad to finally leave the plane in plenty of time to catch our last flight, from Atlanta to Newark, to depart around 6:00, but then we learned that this too had been cancelled. Now they re-booked us on a 10:40pm flight to Newark – with no guarantee that it would fly, in which case we would leave the next morning.
- Passport checks in Atlanta: Since we were returning to the country, we all had to go through the passport checks, and the lines were getting pretty long. We were appalled that no one was keeping safe social distances. Folks were pushing up close, as Americans always do in ques, and the airport personnel were encouraging everyone to move up close and keep the lines tight. We kept our masks on and tried to protect our personal space, but with little success.
- So now we had a long wait. We found a Brewery/Restaurant still open in the airport and spent a leisurely dinner with beer and a few of the menu items that they still had available. Then we just had hours to spend waiting for our late-night take-off. We were both so exhausted that this was a trial. Sara covered up on some chairs at the gate, while Evan tried to stay awake.
- A 1 ½ hour flight from Atlanta to Newark, NJ. 10:40pm-12:20am. This was a pretty fast and uneventful flight. We’re familiar with the Newark Airport, so we moved right along to gather our backpacks and head out. Sara ordered the Uber.
- A quick Uber ride took us from the Newark Airport to Jersey City where we will stay with Brittany & Benny, our daughter and her husband, and three grandchildren.
- A Long Quarantine: Given all of this exposure: flying back to the states and CDC guidelines, we quarantined ourselves for 21 days. Brittany, Benny, and the kids live on the bottom two floors of their home. We’re staying in Apartment #2 above that. We don’t leave the apartment, don’t go out for walks or shopping. We’re having groceries delivered.
- We have no direct contact with the family below us until we’ve finished our quarantine. We can see the kids when they play outside. We can hear them laugh, sing and fight. But we can’t see them or hug them. Soon . . .
